


rum, spices and river water

by Nara_stories



Category: Lord John Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Come Licking, Employer/Employee relationship, Explicit Consent, Fluff, M/M, Skinny Dipping, it's John after all, it's coconut oil though so it's fine, mosquito repellent as lube, not too terribly explicit but let's be on the safe side, soft smut, that's canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:21:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25070827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nara_stories/pseuds/Nara_stories
Summary: “But our clothes, me lord! They are going to get all wet!”Lord John smiled at him, a bright flash of teeth as he rubbed the ointment into the skin of his neck.“We’ll just have to leave those on the bank.”Tom gaped at him. All of them?He realized he had spoken aloud when Lord John’s brilliant laugh echoed across the water.“I wouldn’t want to cause more work for my valet by dirtying them with mud or algae,” he said in a conspiring way. “You truly haven’t done this before, Tom?” he asked then, curiously. “Swam naked in a river?”orOn their way back from a dinner party Lord John and Tom Byrd take a swim in the river in order to escape the Jamaican heat.Self-indulgent silly fluffyness.
Relationships: Tom Byrd/Lord John Grey
Comments: 14
Kudos: 30
Collections: Outlander Bingo Challenge





	rum, spices and river water

**Author's Note:**

> written for the Outlander Bingo 2020 for the square Skinny Dipping

They left the dinner party together wandering down the riverbank towards home. Tom’s head was pleasantly buzzing from the rum he had been drinking, which was strong, but molasses-sweet and went down a lot better than whiskey or wine. What saved him from being inebriated beyond measure was the food. There was an abundance of small and tasty dishes offered throughout the evening: salted fishes, stews with spicy peppers, and juicy rings of pineapples. All of them with bold and exotic flavours that were quite different from what he was used to in England, and he hadn't stopped marvelling at them since they arrived here a few months ago. You could go from spicy to sweet, and back again in a matter of a few bites and even though his belly was full he let out a dreamy sigh just thinking about it.

Lord John chuckled beside him.  
“It was quite the evening, wasn’t it?”  
“It was, me lord,” he agreed. The gathering was casual with no real political implications for once, which also meant that Tom was able to stay by Lord John's side almost the whole time. He didn’t have any obligations so he could enjoy the evening as a guest himself and listen to Lord John tell his usual anecdotes about the coldest parts of Scotland, which seemed so very far away from here. Meanwhile, he secretly slipped the spicier bites of the local specialities he only accepted out of politeness onto Tom’s plate.

As if reading his thoughts – which happened with surprising frequency these days, Lord John broke the comfortable silence again.  
“Who would have thought you would have a palate for rum and hot spice, Tom?” he asked, nudging him playfully with his elbow. Tom smiled.

“I would have never known, me lord, if it weren’t for you,” he answered with earnest gratitude. He never in his wildest dreams thought he would get to visit Jamaica one day. It wasn’t even among those unlikely things he dreamt about as a boy. It was something that had truly never even crossed his mind.

The most unlikely and best thing still was getting to know the man walking beside him, who hadn’t kicked Tom out after he slipped into his life uninvited, but gave him a chance and shielded him from the very rightful wrath of his former employer. Lord John, who let him boss over his wardrobe and made him laugh on a daily basis. Tom couldn’t say he understood him at all times but loved him all the same. He had long come to terms with that fact.

The stars were bright above, and the moon in the first quarter, casting the smallest hint of silver across the path. The sounds of the dirt crunching under their shoes and the song of frogs and cicadas enveloped them like a blanket.

A somewhat suffocating blanket that is. Tom pulled at his stock that was uncomfortably sticking to his neck from sweat. He loved the food and the palm trees, and the ocean that was so much more blue and warm than in England. But there were two things he did not suffer easily.  
“This place would be paradise if not for the cockroaches and this awful heat,” he remarked.

Even at night, the temperature barely dropped and the humidity made his skin feel clammy and his hair stick out in all directions. If that was not enough their sweat only attracted all the blood-sucking little creatures that swarmed out at sunset. Tom slapped at a mosquito crawling on his neck, then shuddered from the sensation.

Lord John hummed in understanding.  
“I would imagine the river is refreshingly cool.”

He stopped in his tracks and turned towards Tom. As he stepped closer Tom could suddenly feel the heat radiating from his body, which was much more pleasant than the heat of the night. He could also smell Lord John. His fresh citrusy cologne was almost completely gone at the end of a long day like this, leaving only the smell of his skin and sweat behind which stirred a primal instinct inside him. For a moment he foolishly thought Lord John was going to step up to him. Then he realized the man was headed towards the river.

There was an opening in the vegetation that led down right to the edge of the water. Tom followed Lord John curiously to the strip of sand, completely obscured by the bushes.  
“Me lord? We’ll get eaten by midges…”  
“You have that ointment on you haven’t you?”  
Tom furrowed his brows. He did carry around a small jar of coconut oil mixed with mint that had proven to be the most effective, and least terribly smelling combination against the little annoyances. He took it out of his pocket now.  
“Yes, but— What are you doing, me lord?” he cut himself off, astonished, as Lord John pulled his stock free.

Lord John’s eyes were the colour of moonlight and there was a hint of mischief in them. Tom felt his heart skip a beat. He loved him even more when he was like this: comfortable and relaxed. As if there was an invisible component to his attire, something that he put down, even before he shed his uniform. Something weaved out of polite words and half-hearted smiles, that obscured a part of his personality. A part of him that was both more playful and more savage than it was fitting to an English lord.

Now, he seemed to pull back the layers covering this side of him as he leaned closer to Tom and whispered:  
“I’m going for a swim. Want to come with me?”

Tom was so surprised he pushed the jar into Lord John’s hand when he reached for it without question.  
“But our clothes, me lord! They are going to get all wet!”

Lord John smiled at him, a bright flash of teeth as he rubbed the ointment into the skin of his neck.  
“We’ll just have to leave those on the bank.”

Tom gaped at him. All of them?  
He realized he had spoken aloud when Lord John’s brilliant laugh echoed across the water.  
“I wouldn’t want to cause more work for my valet by dirtying them with mud or algae,” he said in a conspiring way. “You truly haven’t done this before, Tom?” he asked then, curiously. “Swam naked in a river?”

Tom licked his lips.  
“Well, the Thames has too many ships, me lord, and the canals are filthy.”  
“That they are,” Lord John replied casually while discarding his coat and hanging it on the branch of a tree. “I've fallen into the canal once.”  
Tom couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of him. That was just the sort of thing me lord would do.  
“Laughing at my expense, are you?” Lord John asked, with mock-hurt. Then he threw the jar of ointment at him and Tom only caught it by reflex.  
“Put some on. After all that meat and sweet rum, you must be smelling especially delectable to the mosquitoes.”

Tom untied his own stock, stuffed it into his coat pocket and rubbed some of the coconut oil on his neck. The slight breeze felt wonderful on his heated skin. He watched, his throat suddenly dry as Lord John discarded his waistcoat and draped it on the branch as well. He couldn’t move. Lord John’s gaze softened.  
“What is it, Tom? You’ve seen me without my clothes before. There’s nothing inappropriate about it.”

He was wrong. There were so many inappropriate things about this. Especially the thoughts in Tom’s head.

Lord John kicked his boots off and removed his stockings. Then he tugged his shirt out of his breeches and over his head. Tom swallowed. This was so different. Normally, he would be the one helping Lord John out of his clothes at the end of a long day.

It didn’t make sense that simply watching him undress from a few feet away would stir him more. Maybe because this had nothing to do with his role as a valet. Maybe because it felt like Lord John was doing it for him.

What a silly thought.

Lord John’s hands went to the fastening of his breeches and Tom turned away on instinct, blood rushing to his cheeks.  
“I’ve seen, me lord, but I haven’t looked,” he choked out, scrambling for something to say.

There was a pause, then the soft rustling of clothes. When Lord John spoke again his words were tentative.  
“You are allowed to look now if you wish.”

Tom sucked in a sharp breath. What was happening? Had he maybe fallen asleep during dinner this was all a rum-fuelled dream? Slowly, haltingly he turned around and looked Lord John in the eye. There was a long moment where they just gazed into each other’s eyes, but then Tom couldn’t help it. His traitorous gaze wandered lower.

Lord John was completely naked in the thin moonlight. He was so gorgeous, it made Tom’s heart ache. He wanted to catalogue every inch of pale skin, every muscle, every scar. When he looked up again he knew all of his awe must be clearly showing on his face, because the corner of Lord John’s lips turned into a teasing smile.

“Come on, Tom, your turn. It’s only fair.”

Tom swallowed hard, but he couldn’t pretend anymore that he didn’t want this, so he began to quickly strip. The slight breeze was blissful on every inch of freshly exposed skin, and Lord John’s gaze that followed was so heated in contrast that it made gooseflesh run across his body.

When all of his clothes joined Lord John’s on the tree, and there was nothing to hide behind anymore, he stopped, hands twitching awkwardly by his sides. Lord John looked him in the eye, and the sheer intensity of that look almost made Tom’s knees buckle. Then his gaze roamed over his body once more, slow and deliberate, like a caress.

Tom realized what a dangerous slope he was tumbling down on. Not just see, but look, and now he wanted to touch.

They must have been thinking of the same thing again. The playful smile was back and Lord John held out his hand. Tom stepped closer, the sand underneath his bare feet cool and soft like silk, and he slid his fingers into Lord John’s. He turned towards the water and tugged Tom after him.

There were big, smooth rocks at the edge of the water and Lord John released his hands as they climbed over them. Tom struggled to maintain his balance, but finally, he was able to step into the clear, cool water. He let out a contented sigh and watched Lord John wade in deeper, water rising above his waist. 

The river was calm, the water softly sloshing against the rocks. The water deepened quickly and felt so wonderful after the muggy heat of the night that Tom didn’t stop until the water almost reached his shoulders. And even then, he only halted for a second to take in the moonlight reflecting on the dark mirror of the water, before he leaned forward and kicked himself off the riverbed. When something felt so good and pure you didn’t stop until you had immersed yourself in it as much as you could. He took a deep breath and dived underneath the surface. The water felt like the stroke of cool fingers on his scalp and on his face, which was still flushed from looking at Lord John.

When he emerged, he heard a chuckle behind him. Lord John was watching him with an open smile on his face. Then he swam in after him as strong and graceful in the water as he was in any ballroom.

Tom turned to his back, idly moving his arms in the water as he looked up to the starry night sky. There was a hand between his shoulder blades and he startled, almost swallowed some river water, but Lord John helped him stay above the surface.

“Easy now, Tom…”

Tom gripped his arm, to steady himself. His skin was slippery from the water, and the muscles firm under his touch.

“Me lord…” he started, not quite sure what he was about to say. They were so close now, nothing but the water between them. Tom wanted to be closer. It was wrong for him to wish that. He released his arm and Lord John swam backwards, floating on the water, face calm and completely unconcerned.  
“At the moment, I’m not your lord, Tom,” he said almost dreamily. “We are just two men now. Not even that, two ordinary people, naked in a river.”

Tom swallowed, swimming closer. He couldn't keep his eyes off the man, skin pale against the dark of the water.

“You will never be ordinary to me.” He said softly. Lord John was an intelligent man. If nothing else, he must have known by now how important he was to Tom. Lord John looked at him.

“Nor you to me,” he answered, and swam closer, “but at this moment I do not want us to be separated by the notions of polite society.”

Tom wanted to touch him so badly, except that all his limbs were occupied with treading the water and he was starting to get tired. He began swimming towards the shallow waters again. Even so, it was Lord John who got there first, overtaking him easily. After planting his feet, he turned around and held out his hands to Tom who was clumsily paddling behind, panting slightly. It was the most natural thing to do, to grab his hands and let himself be pulled in. Lord John bent his knees a bit and Tom slid into his lap easily, legs opening on their own account. Their thighs brushed against each other and Lord John released his hands, just so that he could gently wrap his arms around his waist, holding him up.

Tom felt weightless and safe. He steadied himself on Lord John’s chest with one hand, and then he didn’t pull it away, instead stroked the skin there with a fingertip. Then, getting bolder, he ran his finger upwards, tracing his collarbones, then his neck and all along his jawline. He lifted his other hand, stroking his eyebrow, then following a droplet of water running down his face.  
Lord John let him take his time, silently watching him. His gaze dropped then, clearly to Tom’s lips, an unmistakeable proposal.

Tom felt his heartbeat quicken. It wasn’t the fact that he wanted this, that was nothing new. It was the revelation that Lord John wanted this just as much that made him lean forward and press his lips to the other man’s.

The kiss was soft at first, sweet and unhurried. Tom wrapped his hands around Lord John’s neck, body tingling with pleasant sensations. Lord John pulled back, smiled, then kissed him again, hands roaming up and down his back.

Tom sighed, squirmed closer and Lord John kissed him deeper. He tasted of rum, spices and river water. Tom nipped at his lips, making him grunt and kiss him back with more intensity, lips and tongue firm and demanding.

It wasn’t like any kind of lust Tom had felt before. It wasn’t a quick burst of desire, but a slow blooming heat that came from years of familiarity. It sneaked up on him with a soothing whisper and he was completely defenceless against it while it built up to a raging fire.

Lord John’s hands wandered lower, stroking along his thighs and backside, pulling him closer. Tom moaned into his mouth and felt himself starting to grow hard despite the cool water. Lord John’s prick twitched in response.

They broke apart, both breathing heavily.  
“Should we go out?” Lord John asked softly. Tom stared at his lips, soft and wet and kiss-swollen. He did that.

He nodded.

They made their way to the bank, and Tom might have felt self-conscious, but Lord John smiled at him, happy and eager and he only felt the delightful tingling of anticipation.

Lord John pulled their shirts off the tree branch.  
“What do you think, Tom, can we sacrifice these?”

Tom fought back a laugh and assumed a serious expression.  
“Well, undyed linen is the easiest to clean. Besides, that’s the only thing we have any chance of hiding the stains on until we get back.”

Tom had the feeling Lord John liked his outspokenness. He laid down their shirts on a soft patch of mossy ground, shielded by the trees. He stopped then and looked at him seriously.  
“Tom—”  
Tom smiled and cut him off.  
“I know, me lord, you wouldn’t impose yourself on me.”  
He stepped closer and took one of Lord John’s hands into his own, not looking him in the eye, but watching their entwined fingers instead, suddenly overcome by a wave of shyness.  
“Yes, I would give my body to you even if I didn’t desire it meself, but... you have to know that I do, even if it’s just tonight.”

Lord John reached out with his other hand and lifted Tom’s chin gently with a finger.  
“Because you have spoken frankly, I will too. If we share this intimacy, I have to warn you, I may not want to let you go any time soon.”  
His words sent butterflies fluttering in Tom’s stomach and something of this must have shown on his face because Lord John smiled and then pressed that smile against Tom’s lips.

They lay down on top of their shirts, naked skin gliding on damp, naked skin. Tom winced when a small rock dug into his side painfully, and they both laughed. Lord John removed the stone and bent down to kiss the spot better.

“How would you like to do this, my dear?”  
He was so close now, his lips always within reach to kiss, his hands roaming over Tom’s body.  
“I want you inside of me,” Tom said, no hesitation at all.

The ointment was cool and slick between his legs and he gasped as one of Lord John’s elegant fingers entered him. He pressed his lips against Tom’s ear and murmured.  
“Know that you could have asked that we do this the other way around and I would have given it to you.”  
Tom whined low in his throat. Just the sheer idea of that made him arch into the touch.

When Lord John sank into him it couldn’t have been a second too soon. Tom wrapped his arms around him and moaned into his mouth. His hips stuttered on their own account with Lord John’s every thrust.

He wanted it to last forever, but it was too good and he felt himself quickly tumbling towards the edge. He bit his lips hard to keep himself from crying out. There might not be anyone around, but the water did carry the sounds.  
Lord John searched his face. Then shifted slightly to the side, so that he could brace himself on his elbow and lift one of his hands, covering Tom’s mouth, gently, but firmly. It sent a lick of flame down Tom's spine and he was grateful that Lord John's hand muffled the sound that he made. He had no idea he was capable of making sounds like that.

It was suddenly too much, but not enough. Tom reached down and shamelessly wrapped his hand around himself. Lord John made a sound too and thrust harder. It didn’t take long then, just a few dozen more heartbeats and Tom spilt between them, vision sparkling at the edges.  
Lord John’s rhythm faltered, his hand sliding off Tom’s mouth and he pressed his lips against Tom’s shoulder, trying to subdue the sound of his pleasure, while Tom felt him spilling inside him.

Tom shivered, completely sated. They lay there, panting, with sweat-slicked skin and entwined limbs, reality slowly seeping back with the buzzing of insects. It was how Tom realized he had shut out everything that wasn’t them.

Lord John pushed himself up slightly. He was dishevelled and very handsome and Tom didn’t know what he did to deserve witnessing him like this. Lord John idly traced a finger down Tom's belly, where his seed was painted across his skin, then he sucked his finger into his mouth. Tom let out a broken little sound and Lord John gave him a teasing smile.  
“Do you want to try?”  
He swiped his finger in Tom’s seed again, but instead of bringing it up to Tom’s mouth, he licked it off again, then bent down and kissed Tom deeply. Tom kissed back, letting their combined taste burst on his tongue, somehow feeling more drunk than before.

They’ve rinsed off in the river again, then got dressed slowly. When they had walked back to the path, their hands bumped against each other and Lord John laced their fingers together. Tom never thought he could feel so content while in a dirty shirt, undergarments damp, walking home in the dark.


End file.
